Thursday, 1 July 1993
Zaboru visited the ZEPS Event Building, or ZEB for short—the iconic venue dedicated to hosting ZAGE's biggest moments. The last time this landmark was used was for the ZAGE GOTY 1992 celebration, a major milestone for the company. Since then, Zaboru had personally overseen a major renovation of the building, expanding its floor space, upgrading its acoustics, and outfitting it with state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems. No longer just a showroom, ZEB had transformed into a fully equipped entertainment and competition arena, designed to match the ambitions of a growing ZAGE dream.
Even from the outside, the building had become an unmistakable landmark. Its vivid, eye-catching color scheme wasn't just a design choice—it was a bold statement. Zaboru had carefully selected the colors to stand out in the urban sprawl, ensuring the ZEPS Event Building was impossible to miss. Passersby often stopped just to admire its striking architecture, and local papers had even run small features on its unique appearance. Now, this very building was about to take center stage as the venue for ZAGE's next major event: the Street Fighter Official Tournament 1. Zaboru had been preparing for this moment for months, meticulously overseeing every aspect to ensure it would live up to its name.
There will be 32 participants, each one the victor of a regional arcade tournament held across various locations in Japan. These local competitions had been quietly organized over the past few months, drawing crowds of enthusiasts and competitors eager to prove their skill. Now, the champions were converging on the national stage, set to face off at the grand ZEPS Event Building.
To accommodate the action, Zaboru had prepared two premium Street Fighter arcade machines—each custom-tuned with responsive joysticks, reinforced buttons, and internal tweaks for optimal performance. Behind them, a massive screen had been mounted, wired directly to the arcade systems, ensuring the audience could follow every moment of the intense gameplay in real time. Rows of seating, colorful banners, and audio-visual enhancements turned the space into a vibrant arena of excitement.
The tournament format was structured around a best-of-five match system. Each duel could last up to five rounds, but if one competitor managed to win three rounds consecutively, the match would end early in their favor. This sudden-death element added tension and unpredictability.
Zaboru stood at the edge of the arena, observing the final touches being made to the setup. He grinned with satisfaction. The energy in the room was already building—and it was only Thursday. This Saturday, it wouldn't just be a competition; it would be a celebration of skill, passion, and the growing legacy of competitive gaming in Japan.
"I can't wait to see the tournament and enjoy the spirit of competitive gaming," Zaboru thought, his eyes glinting with anticipation. He had even gone so far as to brand the event as ZAGE E-Sport: Street Fighter, a name he hoped would one day become synonymous with high-level competition in Japan.
He stood quietly for a few moments longer, taking in the glow of the machines, the gleam of the banners, and the subtle hum of electric excitement already in the air. Everything was exactly as he envisioned it—or at least, very close. Confident in the direction things were heading, he gave the design and staging team a few final words of encouragement, then stepped away. Trusting the outsourced team to finalize the visual preparations, he exited the ZEPS Event Building and returned to his office with renewed purpose, already thinking about what came next.
At his office, Zaboru made his way to the Hardware Specialist area, There, standing like a gleaming sentinel of entertainment, was a sleek red and blue arcade ZAS machine emblazoned with the words NEW ZAS - MARVEL VS ZAGE in bold letters. The cabinet looked flawless—fully assembled, powered on, and ready to play. Every curve of the design, every button placement, every frame of its vibrant character artwork had been carefully reviewed and approved by Zaboru himself.
He walked around it slowly, admiring the craftsmanship and attention to detail. The machine's interface was buttery smooth. The buttons had the right tactile feedback, and the joysticks were finely calibrated for precise control—small touches that meant a lot to Zaboru, who valued arcade feel as much as game design clearly his hardware specialist team and Nando team doing very good job.
He chuckled to himself. This was the kind of machine that would turn heads, draw crowds, and become a centerpiece at arcades across Japan and the World . And he had timed everything perfectly. Zaboru planned to release it to the public right after the Street Fighter tournament wrapped up. The buzz from the tournament would roll naturally into hype for the new release.
And the ads? Already taken care of. Zaboru had booked production crews back in early June, and filming was completed without a hitch. Voiceovers were professionally recorded, music tracks had been composed, and editing was done to his exact specifications. All that remained was to press play. The commercials could be aired at a moment's notice depend on Zaboru decisions
Grinning with satisfaction, Zaboru gave the cabinet a final nod of approval. Then, without another word, he turned and headed back to his personal workshop, already brainstorming what game he would create next.
Zaboru leaned back and thought, "I wonder what games I should create this July?"
Then he grinned. "What about a game similar to Duck Tales in my previous life? That game had charm, challenge, and incredible music." He tapped his pen on the desk. *"*Well, Disney already created a Duck Tales comic and the Uncle Scrooge comic, so I can't use the Donald Duck-like art style. Copyright would be a nightmare."
He stood up and paced for a moment. "But the gameplay—bouncing on a cane, non-linear stages, treasure collecting—that was genius." Zaboru rubbed his chin. "Maybe I could design an original duck character, maybe something like a treasure hunter... but from a different region. A desert duck? Jungle duck? Or even a sci-fi duck?" He laughed to himself. "Or it doesnt have to be a duck ? Anyway, let's go all in."
Zaboru then noted the next game: Similar to Duck Tales. He nodded and thought again.
"Next, for the handheld... hmm... heheheh..."
Zaboru then thought about a fantastic motocross game from his previous life called Motocross Maniac 2. It was released on the Game Boy Color and had a wild, over-the-top charm—filled with exaggerated jumps, looping ramps, and an almost slapstick approach to physics that made every stage unpredictable and fun. The original Motocross Maniac, released earlier on the classic Game Boy, was also quite enjoyable. However, the sequel had refined mechanics, deeper level design, and improved gameplay progression that made it stand out—yet it was still criminally underrated in his previous timeline.
Zaboru's eyes lit up with excitement. "That game deserved more attention. It was chaotic, silly, but skill-based in the best way. It definitely needs a chance to shine here."
He believed this game could shine in the current handheld market. With the ZGB growing stronger as a platform, adding a motocross title that balanced absurdity and challenge would fit the library perfectly. The handheld lineup was beginning to feel distinct, and this kind of bold game could help solidify its identity.
"Hmm, I should probably relate the title with Excitebike," Zaboru muttered thoughtfully, tapping his pen on the notepad. "Excitebike is the first ZAGE motocross game. This could feel like a spiritual follow-up, a continuation of that game."
Zaboru nodded, then wrote the game name: Excitebike: Motocross Maniac! Zaboru grinned. The players would definitely love this one.
Next, Zaboru thought about other things. One of the employees, especially the Hardware Specialist Head Peter Wayne in the USA branch, had suggested to Zaboru that they also create a dedicated arcade game in the USA branch, which Zaboru seriously considered.
"Hmm, should I create Mortal Kombat?"
Mortal Kombat arcade was really advanced back in his previous world because it used motion capture that could be input into a 16-bit system, which really blew a lot of people's minds in the '90s.
Zaboru nodded. "Well, after the Dance Dance Revolution arcade is done, let's think about this again later."
Zaboru was genuinely impressed by how well his USA team performed. Their task of porting ZEPS games to PC was executed with remarkable precision and cohesion. The collaboration between programmers, , and Quality control flowed smoothly, creating a seamless pipeline from console to PC. Zaboru closely monitored their progress and even suggested a few upgrades to the games—small enhancements that took advantage of the PC's superior hardware. These ranged from quality-of-life improvements, such as mouse-based navigation and higher resolution sprites, to subtle gameplay adjustments that made the PC versions feel more refined without altering their original spirit.
Although the PC versions of several ZEPS titles were already complete, Zaboru made the deliberate choice to delay their release. Rather than flooding the market, he planned a staggered rollout strategy that would align with seasonal marketing efforts and major gaming events or he need to wait until there are Platform for PC game because He understood the importance of timing and impact.
Beyond product strategy, Zaboru's true motive for assigning this project was long-term growth. By working hands-on with the inner structure of ZEPS titles and adapting them to the PC environment, the USA branch gained invaluable insight into ZAGE's core development philosophy. They learned the framework behind the games, the design logic that guided level layouts and mechanics, and the technical finesse needed to optimize for different platforms. Now, the results were clearly visible—ZAGE USA was evolving, becoming sharper, more capable, and increasingly independent. This was exactly what Zaboru had hoped for when he handed them the assignment.
Zaboru then leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly. "I've not slept for two days... sigh." The weight of his nonstop schedule pressed down on him like gravity. He rubbed his eyes and stared at the ceiling, the hum of the nearby arcade cabinet buzzing softly in the background. His thoughts were foggy, his limbs heavy, and despite the adrenaline that usually pushed him through days like this, even he had limits. It was clear—Zaboru was exhausted.
Zaboru was slightly tired, even though he possessed a unique ability known as "Enlightenment"—a powerful enhancement that optimized his bodily functions, significantly reducing the need for rest. Under normal circumstances, just two hours of sleep per day was enough to keep him operating at peak performance. But this time was different. He had pushed himself beyond even his usual limits, going two full days without any rest at all. His thoughts felt sluggish, and even the faint buzz of the machines around him began to feel overwhelming. Though his body was durable, his mind was signaling a clear message: he needed rest. Despite all the superhuman endurance he'd cultivated, the weight of exhaustion had finally crept in.
"Let's sleep a while."
Zaboru then went to the couch in his workshop and began to sleep—a rare thing to witness.
To be continued
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